Bhubaneswar: Amid a crackdown on illegal liquor trade across Odisha, the Excise department has registered 2,686 cases and arrested 1,506 people since August 20.
Official sources said that special teams of the Excise department conducted raids across the state and seized illegal liquor as well as ingredients and materials used for preparation of liquor.
Vehicles used in the illegal trade are also being seized as the government tightened the noose around liquor racket.
Among the arrested persons, 90 people from Angul, 96 from Balasore, 59 from Bhadrak, 69 from Bhubaneswar, 63 from Cuttack, 58 from Ganjam, 61 from Jajpur, 68 from Keonjhar, 58 from Koraput, 57 from Mayurbhanj, 71 from Rourkela and 77 from Sambalpur. All have been forwarded to court.
Excise Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that the crackdown will continue to eradicate the illicit liquor trade completely.
Similarly, 1 lakh 39 thousand 142 litres of illegal liquor and 12 lakh 88 thousand 630 kg of raw materials used for liquor preparations were seized in various parts of the state. Along with this, 150 vehicles used in this illegal business have been seized, the Excise department stated.
